I’ve played on bills with hundreds of bands in my career, but some of the very best have been with Lead Sled Rocket. Those guys sure knew how to throw a party. Playing with King Beez, we would look forward to going back to Oshawa, or Whitby, each time because we KNEW everything was going to be taken care of by LSR. The Hot Rod Club was always in full effect, and Joe Lawrence always had some really cool poster art done up for the events, plus there were always cool bands on the bill, like The Lohrwoods or Baker Muck Rattlers, just to name a couple.There is a lot that goes into a band and those guys had a family around them. If you were to talk to ANYONE involved with the band including the other members, their guitarist, singer, co-writer and manager, Mark Sytnyk was undoubtedly the spark that pushed them in a lot of ways. I spent a lot of time with Mark at our gigs, and we’d chat for hours there and on the phone, figuring out ways to promote the bands and work together on whatever we could. He was a great guy. When I first heard the news Saturday that Mark had lost his battle with Cancer, I think Mike Liscombe (bassist and singer of LSR) put it best when he said: “He always tried to make everyone feel good and happy.” In my opinion, that couldn’t have been more truthful. He was a small guy, but his passion and talent made him much larger. He was a smart, charismatic person with a heart of gold. He pushed hard and believed in what he did musically. Always smiling, laughing and making sure everyone else was happy. Writing this right now seems absolutely surreal.You never expect that people are going to go so young. Taking a moment’s pause to reflect makes you appreciate the times and experiences you’ve had together. I will miss my friend, and I know everyone who ever had the privilege of knowing or even just meeting Mark would feel that, in one way or another. He brought a smile to their faces. I’m lucky to have known Mark, and I will miss knowing that he’s out there. He was one-of-a-kind and the world definitely needs more people like him. RIP Brother.By: Matt GroopieEdited by: Jesse Kline